Kiva is a p2p microfinance online platform that allows individuals to lend to low-income entrepreneurs all over the world.  For $25, anyone can lend interest-free to less fortunate individuals who have been marginalized by the formal financial sector.  And though the non-profit runs on a beautiful and simple concept, successful execution of this concept is ridden with difficulties. The organization strives for complete transparency, but is prone to high levels of public scrutiny.  Critics argue that there is much room for human error and fraud, and they are completely accurate.  Where does your money really go?  How is it being used? What really happens on the fields? Enter the Kiva Fellows.

On Sept 21st,  49 individuals came together in SF to begin the training for a  journey.  These individuals could not have been more different but for a desire they all shared. This desire is to engage themselves in the grassroots movement that is Kiva.  These 49 comprise the 9th class of Kiva Fellows (KF9) and will be spread across South America, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and Southeast Asia.  And I have the honor of being a part of this group. 

Like fellows before us, we have agreed to journey out onto the field to collect invaluable stories about the Kiva borrowers.  These stories can not be underestimated. They are the threads that tie the young Kiva community together and the source of transparency that many NGOs fail to provide.   

However, the role of the fellow extends far beyond storytelling. For the past week, we have undergone sessions about the many deliverables needed to be accomplished at our respective MFIs. For example, some tasks include revamping  journal updating procedures, verifying borrower information, and carrying out miscellaneous projects for the MFI.

The weeklong training laid the groundwork of what is to be expected of us.  But it was also an opportunity for the group to get to know each before heading for our separate ways.  For myself, I will be placed in Tanzania, one of only two who will be there. I’m extremely fortunate for the inspiring opportunity to the meet the Kiva staff and fellows.  By the end of the week, we were no longer 49 individuals, but KF9.